iFlicks

Reviews, rants and random witterings from a film-obsessed freelancer and film music nerd. By day, property journo. By night, editor VODzilla.co.

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A Star Is Born: A foot-stomping tearjerker of a musical

Is there anything Bradley Cooper or Lady Gaga can’t do? Judging by A Star Is Born, probably not.

This latest remake of an age-old tale is a soul-filling wonder, which finds emotional clout between catchy notes and sincere romance underneath stylish riffs – not bad going for an actor’s directorial debut. As well as holding the camera, Cooper plays country rock legend Jackson Maine, who is reinvigorated by the discovery of Ally (Gaga) in a backstreet bar. She dazzles everyone in the house with a performance of La Vie En Rose, delivered with a hint of full Gaga style, but the rest of her turn is rather more understated, as Ally goes through the challenge of staying true to herself while climbing up the music ladder.

That means we end up with more time for Cooper’s grizzled veteran, as his career nosedives into a musically fatal combination of deteriorating hearing and heavy drinking. Cooper delivers a fantastically authentic turn, complete with beard, guitar strumming and growling vocals, although the growing focus on him occasionally risks weighing down the narrative when you want more time with Gaga's rising star.

But this is a remake happy to tread a familiar path, following three previous versions of the story (and countless beats echoed elsewhere). Not that the movie lets you think about that: the chance to see Sam Elliott – part granite, part moustache – go toe to toe with Cooper as Jackson’s older brother and manager is a hard-hitting joy; Gaga’s scenes at the piano or in the recording studio are wonderfully sincere; and every time she or Cooper step up to the mic, the screen crackles with electricity, as Ally belts out every feeling going without holding back. If the end result feels a tad overstuffed, it's only guilty of having too much heart; this is a foot-stomping tearjerker of a musical that have you in tears by the end of the first number. Prepare to have the soundtrack on repeat for a long time.

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In UK cinemas now

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Ghost Stories is a terrific, innovative treat

Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman bring their hit London stage play to the big screen – and the result is a theatrical triumph, combining creepy surprises and quiet emotion to chilling, entertaining effect. 

The anthology of three stories takes us from a dark spin on a haunted house (starring an excellent Paul Whitehouse) to a bedroom pregnant with portent (hello to Martin Freeman, enjoying playing against type) and a monstrous encounter in the woods (featuring future household name Alex Lawther).  Spliced together with a framing device about Phillip Goodman (the deliciously bitter Andy Nyman), an academic debunker of the paranormal, the pacing is perfectly judged, cumulatively building up suspense until a conclusion that’s packed with pathos and wit. 

Presented with old-school practical effects that make everything more believable, the imaginative production rips the scenery out from under your feet time and time again, creating something that’s enjoyably nostalgic but thrillingly innovative – and never once feels staged. A terrific treat in every sense of the word.

✮✮✮✮✮ In UK cinemas now

(Originally published on VODzilla.co)

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Thoroughbreds is destined to become a generation’s cult favourite

If you thought Anya Taylor-Joy was disturbing in The Witch, wait until you see this. 

Thoroughbreds sees her play Lily, the former childhood friend of Amanda (Olivia Cooke). Lily is well-off, admitted to a good college and popular. Amanda is weird, has a violent reputation and doesn’t really do emotions. So when Lily is hired to help tutor Amanda, their reunion is far from friendly. But, in a weird, warped way, that only brings the two closer, as they relish the chance to be cruelly honest with each other – and the result is a relationship that tumbles into darkness like a Slinky in an Escher painting. 

Playwright Cory Finley makes his directorial debut with this nimble, low-key thriller, and his command of tone is astonishingly tight, veering from funny to sad to unnerving in the blink of a eye (watch out for an oddly endearing final performance from the sorely missed Anton Yelchin). Dread mounts, dares escalate and things become hilariously unpredictable, creating a comedy that lashes out at the world around these unhappy teens, but never spares these disaffected, privileged youths from its satirical gaze. 

Thoroughbreds is deliciously twisted – and destined to become a cult favourite for a generation. ✮✮✮✮ In UK cinemas now

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120 BPM - pulsating, powerful cinema

ACT UP. It’s a verb, as well as a noun, and Robin Campillo’s portrait of the AIDS activist group in the 1990s embraces both meanings of the word with a pounding, stirring energy. (Full review: https://tinyurl.com/yda97lbs)

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In UK cinemas now

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The Shape of Water - there’s nothing fishy about this gorgeously old-school romance

Any movie by Guillermo del Toro is always an exciting prospect. Any movie starring Sally Hawkins is always a must-see. The thought of the two working together, then, promises to be a delight – and The Shape of Water doesn’t disappoint.

Part-sci-fi, part-fantasy and all heart, it’s the story of a clearner, Elisa, who works at a mysterious government facility at the height of the Cold War. So when an aquatic specimen comes in that the Americans are keen to keep from the Soviets, the worse thing anyone could do is start a relationship with the creature. Hawkins, whose character is mute, is marvellous, conveying so much through a movingly physical performance – and that physicality is perfectly employed by del Toro, whose joyous fairytale swings from lunchtime feeding to watching tap-dancing on the telly.

Richard Jenkins, Octavia Spencer and Michael Stuhlbarg are all superb in supporting roles, helping to bring the meticulously judged period vibe to life, while Michael Shannon is on scene-stealing form as the cruel, uptight US security man tasked with protecting the asset from enemy eyes. But while you might expect colourful action or supernaturally tinged horror from the Pan’s Labyrinth director, del Toro keeps things light-hearted and cute without dwelling on complicated details. The result is a gorgeously old-school Hollywood romance, which just so happens to have a gigantic fish monster in – a movie so charming that you might as well be watching Fred and Ginger in their heyday.

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In UK cinemas now

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RIP Jóhann Jóhannsson

Achingly atmospheric, intelligently emotional, precisely poetic and quietly experimental, Jóhann Jóhannsson made music that was cinematic; he composed worlds to get lost in.

This is him breaking down his mesmerising work on Arrival:

And here’s some non-film work that’s heartbreakingly beautiful:

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Merry Christmas!

"And I am here for the food."

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Paddington 2 - an utter delight

From its first picture released of a CGI bear, the very suggestion of a modern Paddington movie seemed like a terrible idea. Then, the film arrived and all was right with the world. Crafted with care, warmth and a huge dose of affection for the original books, it was a perfect antidote to the harsh intolerance of reality. But Paddington 2? Surely the people behind the movie couldn’t pull off the same trick twice? This sequel surprises all over again - because it doesn't just do it again. It goes one better.

Ben Whishaw once again voices the eponymous bear, a migrant from deepest darkest Peru who finds a home and shelter with the Brown family (led with effortless sincerity by Hugh Bonneville and Sally Hawkins). Feeling homesick, though, he yearns to buy a special pop-up book he spies in a store for his Aunt Lucy, so that she can see London in all its multicultural glory. But there's one person in his way: the wonderfully named Phoenix Buchanan, a washed-up actor who wants the book for his own, greedy ends.

It's testament to just how superb Paddington is that we've long forgotten our hero is a digital creation: at all times in this sequel you could swear an actual bear is walking around London and trying to do good. From Whishaw's voice to the way the cast interact with Paddington, it's a masterclass in cutting-edge filmmaking. It's given added panache by Paul King's gorgeous visuals, which bring to life pop-up books and steam contraptions with a delightfully low-fi tone that masks a director at the peak of his powers. (Ever since Bunny and the Bull, King has announced himself as Britain's answer to Michel Gondry, and it's a joy to see him given such a big sandbox to play with.)

It says a lot, then, that King and Whishaw's show is almost stolen entirely by Hugh Grant, whose deliciously hammy performance as a showbiz luvvy with an endless array of costumes is one of the best things you'll see this year. His self-parody and astonishing diversity firmly establish him as a national treasure, while his impeccable comic timing perfectly complements Paddington's knack for slapstick comedy - the film manages to make its virtual protagonist not only feel tangible but also a hilariously clumsy physical presence, as he stumbles through dangerous set pieces like an exceptionally furry Buster Keaton.

Along the way, Paddington comes across all manner of delightful cameos, from Brendan Gleeson as a grouchy chef to Murder in Successville's Tom Davis as an intimidating prisoner, which ensure that the laughter count never falls below side-splitting. And yet King's script, co-written with Simon Farnaby (between Horrible Histories, Bill and Yonderland, one of the best family comedy talents in Britain), still finds time to touch upon such issues as abandonment, death and sadness without ever becoming too dark or downbeat. You’ll cry, but you’ll also laugh and fall in love with Hugh Grant. 

The result is an accomplished piece of cinema that is meticulously pieced together, yet never loses the sticky, marmalade-covered edges that made the first film so fuzzy and charming. Paddington came along at a time when the world needed a reminder of the importance of welcoming foreigners to our shores. Paddington 2's positive, heartwarming message of loyalty and support encourages us to pass that kindness on. Michael Bond once told us to look after this bear. Paddington 2 asks us to look after each other. What an utter delight of a film.

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In UK cinemas now

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Thelma - a disturbing, beautiful coming of age horror

A supernatural thriller might sound like a strange move for Joachim Trier (Louder than Bombs and Oslo, August 31st), but the Norwegian director is perfectly at home in what emerges as a subtle character study about a young woman coming of age. Elli Harboe delivers a wonderfully tender performance as the eponymous enigma, raised by her ultra-religious family to believe in repentance – so when she goes to university, she films her life tumble into a spiral of excitement as guilt, as she forms a bond wit classmate, Anja. But with that awakening comes the stirring of a strange power that seems to give her control over the people and the world around her. Is she imagining it? Is she going crazy? Is she having divine visions? Or is it something more sinister? The result is stunningly shot and sensitively handled, piecing together a portrait of a young person struggling to breathe after years of suffocation at home. 

Disturbing, beautiful and entirely absorbing.

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In UK cinemas now

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The Force is strong with this The Last Jedi poster

Avoiding the trailer for fear of spoilers, but look at this. Just LOOK at it.

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Loving Vincent - a jaw-dropping work of art

How do you pay tribute to Vincent van Gogh in film form? Grab a paintbrush. Loving Vincent does just that, daubing oil on canvas to bring to life the story of the artist’s infamous death. It gorgeously captures the small French town of Auvers, from glowing stars to rolling wheat fields. Then it scrapes off the paint and does it again – 65,000 times. The result is something stunningly unique: the world’s first painted film.

The voice cast, including Douglas Booth, Saoirse Ronan and Jerome Flynn, give the floating, impressionistic pictures a tangible weight, while the script portrays the mystery behind van Gogh’s demise as a lightweight true crime investigation, complete with eyewitness interviews and red herrings. It hinges on a letter Vincent wrote to Theo van Gogh, a man whom our protagonist tries to track down. While that plot is sometimes not as substantial as It could be, and the pacing can be a tad too sedate, that ultimately just means more time to marvel at the fact that this movie even exists. A spectacle of swirling and smudging frames, shifting into clearer view for monochrome flashbacks, directors Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman turn every single frame into a mini-masterpiece.

Loving Vincent premieres in cinemas nationwide on Monday 9th October at 7pm, before being released on Friday 13th October. Tickets: lovingvincent.film

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Borg vs McEnroe - a smashing sports flick

John McEnroe. Björn Borg. Two titans of tennis that had crowds riveted during their 14 matches against each other. Show any tennis game of theirs in a cinema and it would be several hours of entertainment without anything further required. It's testament to Borg McEnroe, then, that it manages to be thrilling in its own right: the very idea of having a tennis movie about them both and spending most of it off court should be cinematic suicide.

The script, by Ronnie Sandahl, ticks all the sports movie biopic boxes, as we take the whole first hour to delve into the childhoods of these iconic legends - although, being a Swedish production, we naturally spend more time behind the rackets of Borg. A dozen of them, to be exact, all carefully stringed and tuned up before each game in his hotel room. Sverrir Gudnason is magnificent as the ice-cool tennis player, a competitor known for his stone-faced composure as much as his ground strokes. He not only looks the part: he sells it, bottling up all of his tension and nerves, as he races to the top of the game, then attempts to keep calm, as the boisterous young McEnroe storms up behind him to steal his title.

Shia LaBeouf is equally well cast as the hot-headed hotshot, clearly enjoying the chance let off steam at umpires, linespeople and anyone else around him. In recent years, LaBeouf has given us turns in Fury and American Honey, both times impressing with his quietly intense rage - seeing it erupt is just as satisfying.

That casting is the secret to Janus Metz's film, which relies on the sheer charisma of its two leading men to do justice to their on-screen legacies. Between them is Stellan Skarsgard, whose role as Borg's trainer is the only weak point - with barely a single conversation, he transforms the young Swede into the slick machine the public knew so well. Skarsgard's performance, though, is so convincing that even that concern fades into the background: the chemistry between the trio whenever they're in front of the camera in any combination is gripping to watch. The only disappointment is that we don't get more of them in the same room together.

Metz, meanwhile, doesn't hold back when it comes to the tennis, out-Wimbledonning Wimbledon (the only real rival to the modern tennis movie crown) with a dazzling montage of overhead shots, slow-motion close-ups and rapidly whirring scoreboards. The climax - their five-set epic in 1980 - is genuinely nailbiting: if it's too easy for Gudnason to switch into calm autopilot, the tension stems from the moments where LaBeouf's McEnroe just about manages to stay cool too. The suspense is matched only by the relaxed warmth and respect exuded by the pair when they bump into each at the airport afterwards. You'll leave the cinema wanting to watch them actually play tennis - whether you're a fan of the sport of not.

✮✮✮✮

In UK cinemas now

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Is there anything David Harbour can’t do?

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Wes Anderson. Dogs. Stop-motion. All your favourite words in one film.

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The Boy and the Beast. Swords, sentiment and libraries, what's not to like?

A little over two years ago, Studio Ghibli announced that it was shutting its doors, possibly for good. Who would make animations to enchant audiences the world over now? While Ireland's Tomm Moore continues to make a convincing case with the mesmerising Song of the Sea, he's got competition: Mamoru Hosoda, director of Wolf Children, whose latest is a thrilling tale of friendship and fighting.

The tale follows Ren, a young boy who finds himself alone when his mother passes away, years after his dad left. But we're first introduced to the kingdom of Jutengai, a parallel world full of beasts. There, the contest is fierce to become the new Lord. The challengers? The honourable Iozen and the towering Kumatetsu. There's only one catch: the latter needs an apprentice.

All this is related to us by burning embers, who fly around the screen, reassembling their scorches into people, buildings and places - a dazzling prologue to an equally beautiful 120 minutes, which swoops, swings swords and throws whales into crowded streets with colourful imagination. There are no prizes for guessing what happens when Ren and Kumatetsu cross paths, but their tale of paternal figure and young role model is impressively complex, taking time to acknowledge both Ren's real dad (something that a lesser family flick would overlook) and the fantasy universe's detailed mythology. The result packs in emotion and action galore: think How to Train Your Samurai Dragon, or Free Willy (So That You Can Punch Him in the Face). And yet there's still time to pause for a brief romantic subplot featuring Our Little Sister's Suzu Hirose, some classic literature and a welcome reminder that education is a key part of growing up and becoming strong.

Epic battles, heart-warming feelings and the merits of using libraries? The Boy and the Beast has everything you could want. The future of animation in a post-Ghibli world just got a little brighter.

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In UK cinemas now

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I’m in a podcast!

Listen to me talking giant pigs, giant babies and giant robots in VODzilla’s new Netflix (and more) podcast.

Listen and subsribe here: vodpod.co 

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Harry Styles in a Christopher Nolan film?

Ok, I’m sold.